Air-brake



(No Model.)

G. s. LEE.

AIR BRAKE.

No. 557,515. Patented %ar.'31, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. LEE, OF HAVTHORNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALAIR-BRAKE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEXV JERSEY.

AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,515, dated March31, 1896.

Application filed February 19, 1896. Serial No. 579,874. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. LEE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hawthorne, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brakes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to automatic governors for air-brakes, and hasfor its object the provision of novel means for automatically connectingand disconnecting the moving parts of a pump from the mechanism by whichit is operated, the automatic connection and disconnection of. the pumpand its operating mechanism being effected by the variation of theair-pressure due to the alternate accumulation of pressure by the pumpand the reduction of pressure proceeding from the operation of thebrake. v

My invention consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangements of parts hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional View ofmy improved governor, and Fig. 2 a sectional view on the line as w ofFig. 1.

A designates a cylinder having a head A with stuffing-box A throughwhich passes a piston-rod A carrying a piston A A lever F is pivotallyconnected to the end of the piston-rod A and is also connected to theclutch or other connecting devices which are interposed between themoving parts of the pump and its actuating mechanism.

Upon the end of the cylinder A is screwed a valve-chamber B, which is inthe form of a T coupling and contains a cylindrical piston-valvecomposed of two parts B B a screw-threaded pin on the part B, screwinginto a screw-threaded hole in the part 13*, a packing B being interposedbetween these parts B B One end of the chamber B is closed by anadjustable screw-plug B and a spring B is interposed between the plug Band the piston-valve, so that by the adjust ment of the plug theresistance of the spring may be increased or diminished.

A port 0 leads from the valve-chamber to the cylinder, and the part B ofthe valve is formed with a circumferential groove Z), from whichpassages 17 5 lead to the hollow interior of the part B and a passage bleads from the interior of the valve-chamber to the open air.

The part B of the piston-valve is formed with a cage O, which limits themovement of the piston-valve. The open end of the valvechamber B screwsonto a coupling D, which also receives a pipe E leading from thereservoir in which the compressed air is stored, and a pipe F leading toa valve-chamber G on the side of cylinder A. The valve-chamber Gcontains a cylindrical piston-valve G, made up of alternate rings 9 g gof packing material and metallic disks g g g g, all fixed on a commonstem 9 The upper end of the valve-chamber G is closed by an adjustablescrew-plug G and a spring G is interposed between the screw-plug and theupper end of the valve G, so that by the adjustment of the plug thepressure of the spring can be regulated.

The disks 9 g of the valve G are formed with circumferential grooves 9 9and apassage H in the walls of the chamber G leads from the space in thechamber below the valve G to a point where it communicates with thegroove 9 when the valve G is in the position shown in the drawings. Aport *5 leads from the interior of cylinder A' to the interior of thechamber G, and a port 2' leads from the chamber G to the open air, theposition of these ports being such that when the valve G is raised bythe increase of pressure in the pipe F leading from the reservoir theports 11 '21 and the groove 9 will coincide and will form anunobstructed passage from the interior of the cylinder A to the openair.

Operation: The parts being in the posi tions shown in the drawings, letit be supposed that the air in the reservoir is below the pressurerequired for effective working and the pump is at Work. \Vhen theairpressure reaches a certain point, the valve G rises and opens thecommunication through c 01 g from the upper part of cylinder A to theopen air. This position is maintained until the air-pressure reaches themaximum, whereupon the valve B B is forced back against the resistanceof the spring B closing the port b and opening the passage C to theinterior of cage part B, and allowing the air to enter the cylinder Abelow the piston and elevate the same. The position of parts lastdescribed is maintained while the pressure is at the maximum, and thepump, having been stopped by the elevation of the piston, remainsinactive so long as the piston remains in its elevated position. Thegradual decrease of the air-pressure due to the operation of the brakefirst results in the move ment of the valve B B which closescommunication between the reservoir and the lower end of cylinder A andopens communication through port b to the open air. The further decreaseof pressure to the minimum allows the descent of valve G to the positionshown in the drawings, whereupon the air passes up from pipe E, throughpipe F and passage H, thence through groove 9 and a port i and enteringabove the piston A pushes it down and starts the pump. The operation ofconnecting and disconnecting the pump-operating mechanism is thusaccomplished in a perfectly automatic manner solely by the variation inpressure produced by the operation of the brake.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In an automatic governor forair-brakes, the combination with a cylinder and piston of an adjustableautomatic valve controlling the inlet and exhaust on one side of saidpiston and a second separately-adjustable automatic valve controllingthe inlet and exhaust on the other side, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic governor for air-brakes, the combination with acylinder and piston of two automatic valves both communicating with acommon source of compressed air and with said cylinder and operatedpositively by pressure of air, one of said valves being adapted tooperate under a predetermined low pressure, and the other to operateunder a predetermined high pressure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S. LEE. Vitnesses THos. A. CoNNoLLY, ANTHONY A. GoNNoLLY.

